Apple's dedication to the Community

Apple's reputation lends itself to being a calm, cool, and collected company. So of course, its only natural that the organizations they donate to and volunteer with are considered "cool" as well.

Apple's most popular community relations campaign was the RED Campaign. Apple along with various other large companies formed a partnership with U2's "Bono" in order to create awareness about AIDS/HIV in Africa. Apple's slogan throughout the entire campaign was

"PLAY MORE THAN MUSIC. PLAY A PART."

Although the RED Campaign is not as popular as it was when it was initially put into effect, Apple is still donating alot of their time and effort to the cause.

On their page about the Product(Red) Campaign they write:

Choose (PRODUCT) RED Special Edition iPod models and iTunes Gift Cards, and Apple gives a portion of the purchase price to the Global Fund to fight AIDS in Africa.

*Official RED Campaign Commercial*

And of course, what kind of company would Apple be if they weren't to donate some of their earnings to causes they believed in?

Back in 2008, when California was in the midst of voting on the same-sex marriage ballot, Apple came to the aid and donated $100,000 to fight the ban.

"Our campaign is a campaign of the people," Sonja Eddings Brown, deputy communications director on Yes on 8, said today following Apple's announcement. "We knew we would never be able to compete with the large corporations and Hollywood. We represent the families. We are standing up and pushing back with everything we have."

And last but not least, what is Apple most often known for? Their Mac's you say....Well, that would be CORRECT!

Anyways, getting back to Apple in the community. Often times during tragedies, such as after September 11, the california wildfires, and for schools that are desperately in need, Apple will donate a large portion of its products.

Unfortunately, with all good companies, there is always that one skeleton in the closet.

"As a bit of background, A Real Tree is an app that is used to help plant trees in areas hurt by deforestation. You purchase the app, they plant a tree. Simple.

In the email, Mokugift’s representative describes how Apple called them a week ago to inform them that A Real Tree would need to be altered or would be removed from the App Store. The reason given was that a new policy was in place prohibiting apps from claiming to do anything beyond themselves, and that any and all applications related to charity were also no longer permitted."

Now, although Apple shunning a charity iphone app may not seem like the brightest idea in hindsight, it must not be ignored all of the good that Apple has done not only in its local community, the Silicon Valley in California, but what community efforts they have put forth both domestically and internationally. (And if the rumors are true that Apple will be creating a red iphone in order to refuel the RED Campaign, then COUNT me IN for an UPGRADE!!!!)

AT&T No Longer the Only iPhone Provider

So this blog may be a few hours late, but rather then writing about a dry Apple announcement I decided to wait until today to see if the rumors were true, and SURPRISE, they are! For the past few years AT&T has been the exclusive provider for the Apple iPhone in the United States and Canada. Yay for AT&T users, but "nay" for those of us that have other providers. (Or "yay" for those who switched over :)

Wait for it though..... this will ONLY be happening in Canada, at least for the moment.

Only hours after midnight, TELUS and Bell both confirmed that the Apple iphone would be available starting in November.

Since this announcement is only hours old, public relations at Apple must sure be having a good day. Imagine, for years AT&T has been the exclusive provider and for years people have been waiting for other phone providers to offer the iphone; and finally, it's here!

Rather then spending hundreds of thousands of dollars using the media to relay this announcement, Apple should owe a big fat thank-you to all of its fans! Amongst Apple fans, which are in the millions, news manages to spread faster then wildfire!

However, I do believe that Apple often relies too much on their fan base. When googling "Apple annoouncements" to check the latest news, the blogs providing information outnumber the news stories drastically. Now I understand that this news has just been confirmed, but come on Apple, publicize yourselves!! Don't make your bloggers do it for you (even if it is free)

So then I thought, what about YouTube? I'm sure there have already been dozens of news stories about the iphone's release in Canada, right? WRONG! In fact, there is only one story about it, and its by a blogger!

The iPhone is Coming to Bell and TELUS

As the day goes on I will definitely be updating on how Apple is using the media to make people aware about the two addition iphone providers!!

Social Media A Surprising "Nay" For Apple Inc.

So imagine my amazement when I Googled "social media and apple," seeing article after article about Apple being against social media. Dave Fleet, a communications blogger wrote,

"Despite being the one company that, more than any other, raised awareness of podcasting and gave the music industry a kick up the ass with iTunes, Apple is dismissive of social software."

He goes on to further explain how employees are discouraged from blogging and that many anti-Apple forums have been taken down by the company.

According to another story Apple even sued a blogger that was tracking Apple news claiming she was "leaking trade secrets." Hmm....one has got to wonder, right?

So all Apple-being-anti-social-media aside, why is Apple more successful then ever in a time when social media has such a large influence on a companies "rep?"

Here...I'll give you some time to think.

Okay, fine. Like any other celebrity, Apple's popularity is all thanks to its FANS! Yes, yes, it is true. We are all to thank for Apple's success. Well, that and all of its incredible products that yours truely "oh so loves."

And now for your vieweing pleasure, I like to call this one "Stick to the script, or else there will be PR hell to pay."










Hold it! If you have been reading this blog as religiously as I assume you are, then of course you know how much of a Apple lover I am. Therefore, (although it took a bit of digging) I did find some good news about Apple using social media.





1. They have numerous forums about all of their products. However, rather than being targeted towards potential customers, these forums focus on individuals who have already purchased a product and their after-thoughts of them.





2. Apple and Facebook. Yes, Apple has "fallen victim" to the addicting world of Facebook as well. With a group of over 1,400,000 people, Apple offers special incentives to these members. The downside? Many people who have seen this blog do not consider it a form of two-way communication, but rather another attempt by a Fortune 500 company to market itself to another group of people. (Boo, Apple, you're breaking a girls heart over here!)

One of my favorite blogs written about Apple and its apathetic approach to social media is by the Silicon Valley Watcher.

So the moral of the story:

1. Although Apple does have some ties to social media, it is no where near enough for a company of such grandeur.

2. Because Apple exploded the world of music downloading and iPods and popularized podcasts, they more than any other company should be ahead of the "social media" game.

3. Apple can only depend on a loyal fan base for so long. Take some advice from Beyonce, becomes an I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T WOMAN ALREADY!

"Millions saw the apple fall, but Newton was the one who asked why" Bernard M. Baruch

"The core value that differentiates Apple...

... is our ability to innovate,"   said Ron Johnson, Senior Vice President of Retail Operations at Apple.

Where in the world is APPLE in the news....

Ed White of the Associated Press... 

"Eminem's music publisher is suing Apple Inc., claiming they never authorized the use of 93 songs in a downloadable format on Apple's popular iTunes service."

Will Park of InTo Mobile... 

"The AppStore last Friday saw an incredible surge of 1,394 iPhone apps going live. Apple (NSDQ: AAPL), in a single day, approved more apps for the AppStore than there are apps in the entire App Catalog (many times more, in fact)!"

Gabriel Madway of Reuters... 

"As computer makers roll out their new notebooks and netbooks ahead of the end-year holiday shopping season, razor-thin, sleek and colorful are most definitely in, as are arresting designs in an ever-expanding array of choices.  It was only a few years ago that most laptops were some variation of a dull box that came in gray or black, with the exception of Apple Inc, which was making distinctive laptops back in the 1990s."

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And now....for your viewing pleasure, the newest Mac vs. PC commercial....

The History of Apple Aint No Slice of Pie

By now I have hopefully established that this blog will be dedicated to all things Apple.  Although it has been drilled into our heads dozens and dozens of times that Wikipedia is not a scholarly source, I have decided to give them the benefit of the doubt on their accuracy.

"Apple Inc. is an American multinational corporation that designs and manufactures consumer electronics and computer software products. The company's best-known hardware products include Macintosh computers, the iPod and the iPhone" (Wikipedia)

So by the most basic standards, Apple is an electronic and computer company known worldwide with infamous products such as the iPod, iPhone, and Mac. 

I would go into the history of Apple, but honestly, I'm 95% positive you don't really want to hear it and 99.9% positive that I can't make it very interesting.  Therefore, for your viewing pleasure I present "The History of Apple....a Youtube Video"

After reading all about Apple...the good, the bad, and the ugly, I have decided that the companies history can be successfully split up into six era's:

1. The Beginning 1976-1980

2. Lisa and Mac 1981-1985

3. The Demise and Rise 1986-1993

4. Wake up Call  1994-1997

5. "That's almost as good a comeback as Britney Spears" 1998-2004

6. Underdog no more, new leader of the pack 2005-Present

More so in the past 4-5 years Apple has been able to shake the reputation that haunted them since the late 1980's.  Mis-targeted products, bulky and confusing programs and machinery, and uncompetitive concepts all managed to hover over the Apple name like a rainy storm cloud.  That is, until Apple introduced the iMac, the iPod, and more recently the iPhone.  

The progress of Apple through the six stages of their history can easily be tracked and matched even by looking at stock prices.  For example:

Lisa Introduced

September 1984: $2.87

Mac Introduced

September 1990: $6.83

Powerbook Introduced

September 1996: $5.55

iMac Introduced

September 2002: $7.25

Apple iPod Introduced 

September 2008: $113.66

Apple iPhone Introduced

September 21, 2009: $184.02

Opinions on Apple Inc.'s Reputation:

"The customer base is now more diverse, including students and mainstream consumers, and it's harder to satisfy as a whole," says Lopo L. Rego, a marketing professor at the University of Iowa who studies the impact of customer satisfaction on financial performance." BusinessWeek

"Apple(AAPL Quote) has only 3% of the phone market, but it's nearing 40% of the smartphone market." -Jim Cramer The Street

"Yes, Apple Inc. is a great company that makes terrific products ... Steve Jobs can lay a plausible claim to the title of the world's most successful chief executive." -MacDailyNews

"The numbers, however, tell a greater story: In its first three days on the market, according to an Apple Inc. announcement, the iPhone 3GS sold 1 million units." -MacDailyNews

A Skeptic Turned Addict

I've always been a simple kind of girl; PC's, flip phones with the bare minimum, and an old school Walkman were all I ever needed....... or so I thought. The spiraling-out-of-control love affair I started with Apple Inc. began that fateful Christmas day back when I was only a tot. Actually 14, but "tot" leads the story into a more Disney-esque appeal. Anyways, so rather then the typical CD's I was used to ripping open for Christmas, this year, there was a small little box under the tree. I kept thinking to myself, "did my parents forget CD's are in style and buy my cassette tapes instead?" Being the two most old school individuals on the planet, I had learned to never put anything past them when it came to understanding what was "cool".

As Christmas got closer and closer I started to grow more panicked. Finally,December 23, when no one was home, my need to know what was in that small package over took me and I proceeded to unwrap the edges inch by inch. I finally managed to rip the wrapping paper enough to make out a little apple logo. Being a technologically-challenged high schooler, my mind went rampant for the next two days. Finally, the long awaited day was here. With one deep breath, I ripped open my present and saw the new "APPLE VIDEO iPOD." For the life of me, I could not figure out how this would be better then a Walkman, I just couldn't.
4,000 songs later, and with headphones permanently attached to my ear and an iPod surgically attached to hand, my Walkman was no longer the only "man" in my life.

So now, six years later I sit here as a much more mature, wise, and technologically-savvy individual, or so I like to think.

If you had asked me three weeks ago I would have told you I could care less about the smart-phone phenomenon. However, two weeks ago, I fell victim to this addiction as well. My iPod, which I now consider the "gateway drug" to Apple technology, led me to the iPhone. Two of my best friends had owned them for months, but every time me and the iPhone came in contact, we never managed to get along. The apps, the weird messaging and all of the extras were things I assumed were useless amenities. But oh, how wrong I was. Since I became an iPhone user, I have also entered into a 12-step program for iPhone addicts anonymous. Even when I sleep, it has yet to leave my hand. Facebook, AIM, e-mail, sudoku, trapster and the touch-screen, all at my fingertips has officially made me an addict.

So when I had to decide what company I would follow for this class blog, no other company seemed to make sense other then Apple. I was a lover, a follower, and an addict of the company and its products. So for the next few months, I plan on being the go-to gal for all things Apple. New product releases, new apps, controversies, and crisis's....I plan on knowing and telling it all, not necessarily for your benefit, or even for an A in the class, but for my own addicted self!

Check out www.apple.com for yourself :)